Well, they did it. And I like to think that Brian Daboll read my last post and showed it to the team because everything I mentioned was executed perfectly on Sunday. My first point last week was to shut down Justin Jefferson and with Adoree' Jackson back he was able to do so in the second half. After a pretty big first quarter for Jefferson, it was obvious that the game plan for Minnesota was to feed him the ball as much as possible. With adjustments made at halftime, the Giant's defense was able to keep him quiet in the second half with all credit going to Jackson. Dexter Lawrence also made his presence felt in this game and came up huge on the biggest play of the game. On a crucial 4th and 8 for the Vikings Kirk Cousins was forced to get the ball out quick because of pressure from Dex. The throw was 5 yards short and Xavier McKinney was able to make the tackle and essentially end the game. But perhaps the most important performance of all was that of QB Daniel Jones. In all honesty, I was a little nervous that DJ would have some jitters in his first postseason game, but he was just fine. He threw for 301 yards and 2 TDs through the air and had 78 rush yards on 17 carries. As I mentioned last week, the key for Jones would be to make the easy throws and get out of the pocket and run. He did just that and kept the Vikings defense guessing all game long.
This week the Giants will take on an even biggest test against the NFC's number #1 seed, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants lost both of their games against the Eagles in the regular season but things feel a little different this time around. Here is how the G-Men can pull off a massive upset in the City of Brotherly Love.
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| (Photo via thelines.com) |
1. Kayvon Thibodeaux
The Giants drafted Thibodeaux at number 5 to be someone they can look to rely on to make plays in games like this. He must be that guy this weekend. He will go against one of the best offensive lines in the league with arguably the game's most mobile QB under center. This will be a challenge for the rookie but I think he has what it takes to wreak havoc this weekend. For him to succeed in doing so and help the Giants win this game he needs to do two things, stop the run and QB contain. Thibodeaux isn't exactly known for his run-stopping ability, in fact, he is listed as a pass rusher, but he must also help Dexter Lawrence and Leo Williams in contributing to stopping Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell. Even making a few tackles on outside runs or preventing them from getting to the second level could really make the difference for the Giant's defense. While this is obviously very important, it is even more crucial to stop the Jalen Hurts from running. Hurts had 760 yards and 13 TDs on the ground this year, stopping him from escaping the pocket will prevent the Eagles from being able to fully open up their offense. Being lined up the outside Thibodeaux will likely be one of the first Giants defenders in the mix on these QB run plays, if he is able to stay put and not fall for play action he will get a lot of opportunities for one on ones and I believe he can make the necessary tackles to prevent big plays.
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| (Photo via Mike Stobe/Getty Images) |
2. Isaiah Hodgins
The Philadelphia Eagles rank number 1 in the league in terms of pass defense, allowing just 179.8 yards passing per game in the regular season. This is in part because of their highly graded top 2 corners Darius Slay and ex-Giant James Bradberry. With that said, the Giants have passed the ball well of late even with their so-so receiving core. This core has been led by practice squad signing Isaiah Hodgins, who has the most receiving TDs for the G-Men in 2022. Last week Hodgins had 8 receptions for 105 yards and a score. Maybe not to that level, but Hodgins must continue to play well for the Giants to score in this game. Even when going against opponents' top corners he has been able to create separate and make chunk plays that keep drives alive for NY. He has also been one of Daniel Jones' go-to guys in the red zone. Hodgins needs to continue to make those chunk plays on third and fourth downs and keep the defense honest which can open things up for the next person on our list.
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| (Photo via Corey Sipkin/New York Post) |
3. Saquon Barkley
On Saturday, I expect the Eagles to stack the box against Saquon and try and force Daniel Jones to make tight throws against their elite secondary. Barkley will have to figure out a way to make plays against a stout defensive line. Although this could be tough, Saquon has shown on the Giant's journey to the playoffs that he means business. I point to the must-win game in Washington in December. On the Giant's final drive to win the game, Saquon ran with a purpose, running over or spinning around defenders in order to get first downs. I saw that same Saquon in last week's game in Minnesota. You could tell he was not let anything or anyone stop him on his two touchdown runs. One of which where he ran over the Viking's 320-pound defensive tackle. If Saquon can stay locked in and run like he has it will be tough for anyone to stop him from taking over, even with a big-bodied d-line like the Eagles have. In addition to playing physically in the run game, it will also be important for Barkley to play a role in the passing game. Last week Barkley caught five balls for 56 yards and even broke one for 24 yards. And as I said, when playing against a secondary like the Eagles have, our receivers may have trouble getting open so he may have to play a little receiver himself. The Giants need to design plays to get him open in space or even plays where he is the checkdown, because 26 is the guy you want to have the ball when you need to make big plays and win you the game.
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| (Gif via tenor.com) |
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